1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image verification system that verifies whether or not image data generated in an imaging device such as a digital camera has been modified.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera storing a digitized optical image of an object recently has been commercialized.
Image data picked up by a digital camera can easily be stored and processed by a personal computer. A drawback may be encountered, however in that an image picked-up by a digital camera easily can be modified by a personal computer. As a result, image data shot by a digital camera may be deemed less reliable than that of a silver-salt photograph, for example, as logically admissible evidence. More recently, therefore, a digital camera system having a function of adding a digital signature to image data taken by a digital camera has been proposed. A conventional digital camera system is disclosed, for example, in a U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,294 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-200730.
In this conventional digital camera system, although it is possible to verify whether or not image data has been modified, it is not possible to detect what portion of the image data has been modified.